Wood & Charcoal Identification in Southern Maryland
    By Harry Alden

Pines

Pines (Pinus spp.) The members of the genus Pinus are readily separated from all other conifers by their resin canals, which have thin-walled epithelium cells. Specific identification is generally not possible, however, the genus can be subdivided into five groups on the basis of the ray tracheids and the type of cross-field pitting.

Other common names include; American white pine, American yellow pine, apple pine, ayacahuite vidriosa, balsam pine, bor vajmutov, borovice tuha, Canadian white pine, Canadian yellow pine, Chiapas pine, Chiapas white pine, Chiapas-pijn, Chiapas-tall, cork pine, eastern pine, kahikatea, Minnesota soft white pine, Minnesota white pine, New England pine, northern pine, northern white pine, Ottawa pine, Ottawa white pine, pattern pine, pin baliveau, pin blanc, pin blanc Canadian, pin de Chiapas, pin du lord, pin jaune, pin potiron, pin Weymouth, pino ayacahuite, pino Canadiense, pino di Chiapas, pino stobo, pino Weymouth, pumpkin pine, Quebec pine, Quebec yellow pine, sapling pine, seidenkiefer, silver pine, simafenyo, soft pine, soft cork white pine, soft pine, soft white pine, sosny wejmutka, spruce pine, strobe, strobo, strobus, Tonawanda pine, Weymouth pine, Weymouth-pijn, Weymouthpijn, Weymouths kiefer, Weymouthsden, Weymouthsfohre, Weymouthskiefer, Weymouth-tall, Weymut-tall, white pine, white soft pine, Wisconsin white pine, yellow pine. Other common names include; American white pine, American yellow pine, apple pine, ayacahuite vidriosa, balsam pine, bor vajmutov, borovice tuha, Canadian white pine, Canadian yellow pine, Chiapas pine, Chiapas white pine, Chiapas-pijn, Chiapas-tall, cork pine, eastern pine, kahikatea, Minnesota soft white pine, Minnesota white pine, New England pine, northern pine, northern white pine, Ottawa pine, Ottawa white pine, pattern pine, pin baliveau, pin blanc, pin blanc Canadian, pin de Chiapas, pin du lord, pin jaune, pin potiron, pin Weymouth, pino ayacahuite, pino Canadiense, pino di Chiapas, pino stobo, pino Weymouth, pumpkin pine, Quebec pine, Quebec yellow pine, sapling pine, seidenkiefer, silver pine, simafenyo, soft pine, soft cork white pine, soft pine, soft white pine, sosny wejmutka, spruce pine, strobe, strobo, strobus, Tonawanda pine, Weymouth pine, Weymouth-pijn, Weymouthpijn, Weymouths kiefer, Weymouthsden, Weymouthsfohre, Weymouthskiefer, Weymouth-tall, Weymut-tall, white pine, white soft pine, Wisconsin white pine, yellow pine.   The word pinus is the classical Latin name. The name strobus is the Latin name for pine cone, from the Greek strobos (whirling around) and strobilos (pine cone). The species Pinus strobus is composed of two varieties; the typical Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus var. strobus L.) and Chiapas White Pine (Pinus strobus var. chiapensis Martinez [P. chiapensis (Martinez) Andresen]), native to the mountains of southern Mexico and Guatemala.

Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) grows in eastern North America from southeast Canada to South Carolina in the U.S., and west to Minnesota. The tree can attain heights of 100 feet, with diameters of 4-5 feet. During the Colonial Period in the U.S., many of the large Eastern white pines that grew along the Atlantic coast were used as ship masts. The wood of Pinus strobus (Eastern white pine) has white sapwood and light brown heartwood. It (like other softwoods) has a texture or feel that is smooth (as opposed to coarse), with a grain that is even and straight. It is medium in strength and works well for most applications. Its uses include casting patterns, containers, doors, furniture, inexpensive caskets, knotty paneling, packaging, window sashes and trim.

Click here to view a chart of Key: Softwoods.  

http://www.borealforest.org/nwwood.htm.

Other common names include; Arkansas pine, bastard pine, black pine, black slash pine, bog pine, buckskin pine, bull pine, Carolina pine, cornstalk pine, foxtail pine, frankincense pine, heart pine, Indian pine, kienbaum, lobby pine, longleaf pine, longschap pine, longschat pine, longshucks, longshucks pine, longstraw pine, maiden pine, meadow pine, North Carolina pine, old pine, oldfield pine, pin a l’encens, pin taeda, pinho-teda, pino de incienso, pino dell’incenso, prop pine, Rosemary pine, sap pine, shortleaf pine, shortstraw pine, slash black pine, slash pine, soderns gul-tall, southern pine, southern yellow pine, spruce pine, swamp pine, sydstaternas gul-tall, taeda pine, taeda-pijn, torch pine, Virginia pine, Virginia sap pine, yellow pine. Other common names include; Arkansas pine, bastard pine, black pine, black slash pine, bog pine, buckskin pine, bull pine, Carolina pine, cornstalk pine, foxtail pine, frankincense pine, heart pine, Indian pine, kienbaum, lobby pine, longleaf pine, longschap pine, longschat pine, longshucks, longshucks pine, longstraw pine, maiden pine, meadow pine, North Carolina pine, old pine, oldfield pine, pin a l’encens, pin taeda, pinho-teda, pino de incienso, pino dell’incenso, prop pine, Rosemary pine, sap pine, shortleaf pine, shortstraw pine, slash black pine, slash pine, soderns gul-tall, southern pine, southern yellow pine, spruce pine, swamp pine, sydstaternas gul-tall, taeda pine, taeda-pijn, torch pine, Virginia pine, Virginia sap pine, yellow pine. Other common names include; Arkansas pine, bastard pine, black pine, black slash pine, bog pine, buckskin pine, bull pine, Carolina pine, cornstalk pine, foxtail pine, frankincense pine, heart pine, Indian pine, kienbaum, lobby pine, longleaf pine, longschap pine, longschat pine, longshucks, longshucks pine, longstraw pine, maiden pine, meadow pine, North Carolina pine, old pine, oldfield pine, pin a l’encens, pin taeda, pinho-teda, pino de incienso, pino dell’incenso, prop pine, Rosemary pine, sap pine, shortleaf pine, shortstraw pine, slash black pine, slash pine, soderns gul-tall, southern pine, southern yellow pine, spruce pine, swamp pine, sydstaternas gul-tall, taeda pine, taeda-pijn, torch pine, Virginia pine, Virginia sap pine, yellow pine.   The word pinus is the classical Latin name and taeda means resinous. Loblolly pine is one of the fastest growing southern pines.

This species is native to the Coastal Plain and Piedmont, from southern New Jersey and Delaware south to central Florida and west to eastern Texas. It also grows in the Mississippi Valley to extreme southeastern Oklahoma, central Arkansas, and southern Tennessee. Loblolly pine can reach heights of 150 ft (45.72 m), and diameters of 5 ft (1.52 m).

Loblolly pine sapwood is a yellowish white, with heartwood of reddish brown. The sapwood is usually wide in second-growth stands. Heartwood begins to form when the tree is about 20 years old. In old, slow-growth trees, sapwood may be only 1 to 2 in. (2.54 to 5.08 m) in width. Moderately high in shock resistance, the wood of loblolly pine is very heavy and strong, very stiff, and hard, straight-grained with a medium texture. While the heartwood is moderate to low in decay resistance, the sapwood is more easily impregnated with preservatives. The dense, high strength lumber of southern pines is used extensively for stringers in building construction, roof trusses, beams, posts, joists, and piles. Lower density and strength lumber is used as interior finish, sheathing, subflooring, and joists, and boxes, pallets, and crates.

Click here to view a chart of Key: Softwoods.

http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/TechSheets/SoftwoodNA/pdf_files/pinustaedaeng.pdf.

Other common names include; Alligator pine, bastard pine, black pine, cedar pine, hickory pine, jack pine, Jersey pine, New Jersey pine, North Carolina pine, old field pine, pin chetif, pin de Virginie, pin de Virginie, pin pauvre, pino Virginiano, poor pine, poverty pine, river pine, scrub pine, short shucks, shortleaf pine, shortleaved, shortschat pine, shortshucks, spruce, spruce pine, Virginia tall, Virginia-tall, Virginische pijn, Virginische pijn. Other common names include; Alligator pine, bastard pine, black pine, cedar pine, hickory pine, jack pine, Jersey pine, New Jersey pine, North Carolina pine, old field pine, pin chetif, pin de Virginie, pin de Virginie, pin pauvre, pino Virginiano, poor pine, poverty pine, river pine, scrub pine, short shucks, shortleaf pine, shortleaved, shortschat pine, shortshucks, spruce, spruce pine, Virginia tall, Virginia-tall, Virginische pijn, Virginische pijn.   The taxonomic name for the Virginia pine comes from the Latin word pinus and the word virginiana meaning “of Virginia.” Virginia pine is southern pine classified as a "minor species" in the grading rules. Virginia pine is native to southeastern New York (Long Island) and New Jersey, west to Pennsylvania, central Ohio, and southern Indiana, south to western Kentucky, western Tennessee, and Northeastern Mississippi, and east to central Alabama, northern Georgia, northern South Carolina, and Virginia. typically reaching heights of 80 ft (24.38 m), and diameters of 2 ft (0.61 m), a record Virginia pine was measured at a height of 114 ft (34.75 m), with a diameter of 32 in. (0.81 m).

The heartwood of Virginia pine, which if slightly resistant to nonresistant to decay, is orange, and the sapwood nearly white and relatively wide. Virginia pine is moderate in weight, strength, hardness and stiffness, with moderately high shrinkage and shock resistance. It is used for lumber, pulpwood, rough construction railroad cross ties, mine timbers and fuel.

http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/TechSheets/SoftwoodNA/pdf_files/pinusvirgineng.pdf.

Characteristics found in the Pines (Pinus spp.):

  • Ray tracheids non-dentate.
    • Cross-field pitting 1-2 large, simple or nearly so
      • White Pine Group [Eastern white pine (P. strobus L.)]
  • Ray tracheids dentate to reticulate.
    • Cross-field pitting 1-6 pinoid.
      • Yellow Pine Group [Eastern and southern species, principally jack pine (P. banksiana Lamb.); slash pine (P. elliottii Engelm.); longleaf pine (P. palustris Mill.); shortleaf pine (P. echinata Mill.) and loblolly pine (P. taeda L.)]
Cross Field Ray Tracheids
Pits Non-dentate Dentate
1 — 2, Large  White Pine Group Red Pine Group
1 — 6, Pinoid   Yellow Pine Group

WOOD SLIDES
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CHARCOAL SLIDES
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Updated: 4/30/17

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